Influence of grinding on the pozzolanic activity of granite residue

Abstract This study explores the potential of the granite residue to be applied as a supplementary cementitious material. Furthermore, the efficiency of grinding methods in the improvement of the residue reactivity was also evaluated. The granite residue was collected in a facility located in Brazil and used as a Portland cement replacement with a substitution rate of 25% in mass. The residue was submitted to wet, dry and additive dry grinding methods, with several different times. The cement-based composites were characterized by quantitative X-Ray diffraction using the Rietveld's method, thermogravimetric analysis, and compressive strength. In conclusion, there was observed a higher efficiency of the wet grinding method, followed by an increase in compressive strength results as grinding time increased. Furthermore, the portlandite content was lower in the cement-based composite with granite residue, especially in the samples ground for 60, 120, and 180 minutes; a fact that summed up with other results for the pozzolanic potential of the granite residue.